Blackpool Away First Up For Reading In 2022/23

Reading have learned their Championship 2022/23 fixtures, and the first one’s a cracker. The Royals have been handed an opening-day trip to Blackpool, giving fans the chance for a trip to the seaside on the weekend of July 30. While that’s a week earlier than the season usually starts (due to the winter World Cup), it does allow for an extra summery away day.

We will of course be hoping for better than last time, when the Tangerines thrashed us 4-1 in Paul Ince’s second match in charge. This fixture is therefore a chance at a bit of revenge, not least for Ince himself, who was Blackpool manager between 2013 and 2014.

Following that trip to the north west, Reading get their first home match with the visit of Cardiff City on August 6. The League Cup kicks off a few days after that; the Royals will learn their opponents for this fixture later on this afternoon.

Fixtures run until the weekend of November 12, after which there’s a mid-season break for the World Cup. Four weeks later, on the weekend of December 10, Championship action resumes. However, there could be an overlap for any Reading players who get to the World Cup final - Sunday December 18. It could happen, you never know!

Reading round out 2022 with a Boxing Day game against Swansea City (H) and trip to Norwich City on December 29. The New Year kicks off with a trip to John Swift’s West Bromwich Albion on January 1.

As for Easter fixtures, the Royals host Birmingham City on Good Friday before going up north to Preston North End on the Easter Monday.

The 2022/23 campaign wraps up on Saturday May 6 with a game at Huddersfield Town. That’s exactly one day earlier than last season, when the Royals had a deflating Inflatables Day defeat to Luton Town.

You can see the full set of fixtures here:

For those following the Royals on the road, the closest fixtures are all on Saturdays. There are, as things stand, no mid-week trips to Queens Park Rangers, Millwall, Watford or Bristol City.

However, it’ll be a hardier trek for some other games. Hats off to anyone making the midweek journey to Sheffield United, Swansea City, Norwich City or Blackburn Rovers.